LIAM FOX RESIGNS AS HE IS HOUNDED OUT OF GOVERNMENT

So finally Dr Liam Fox has resigned from government, and not before time. Within 24 hours of the story breaking it was obvious he had to go, but many Conservatives would not accept this or even see what he had done wrong.

It quickly became clear that Dr Fox’s close friend Adam Werritty was being used as an “unofficial advisor”, without security clearance, and without a clear defined role that could be held up to scrutiny, accountability and transparency.

The very idea that being an important member of the government as defence secretary, going to important meetings with heads of state, and bringing his “mate” along to all these meetings all over the world costing thousands of pounds of “some ones” money, and that this would be acceptable just defies logic.

I can just see myself going to a business meeting, discussing confidential information and bringing a “mate” along to sit in on and take part in the meeting. I would be looked at as being completely mad, and rightly so. Adam Werritty had no business being at those meetings and being able to take advantage of networking government contacts on the basis of being a “friend”.

There are still questions to be answered like who exactly was paying for Adam Werritty’s expenses and what was he gaining from the relationship, details we may now never find out.

As for David Cameron, I’m afraid he dithered on this issue. We know that Liam Fox had already broken the ministerial code and acted irresponsibly and in a way that no ordinary mortal could have acted in business. On this basis, I think David Cameron got this profoundly wrong and will be damaged by the affair.

I was wrong in my previous comments when I stated that Dr Fox would be gone within 5 days . . . . . . it actually took 6!

Sadly, I do not believe that the act of arrogance by Liam Fox will be the last we see in this coalition government.